Using a digi-card for the first time

Using a digi-card for the first time

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Fun Bus

Original Poster:

17,911 posts

225 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
quotequote all
I'm currently between contracts, and in order to keep the boredom at bay and keep my hand in I'll be doing some agency driving work (van & 7.5t). I've had a digi-card for just over a year and never used it - is there anything I need to be aware of when I put it into a tachograph for the first time?

My Googling suggests there isn't and it'll be a normal case of changing the modes through my shift and a download at the end of the shift.

v8will

3,307 posts

203 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
quotequote all
Nothing I can think of. Just remember to get a print out at the end of the day and always carry a spare roll of paper with you.

edit: When I'm recording a break I always allow an extra minute or two before switching modes. Had a few occassions when taking a break that the card has recorded 14 minutes or 29 minutes yet I'd taken the correct amount of time.

Edited by v8will on Thursday 28th June 11:19

italianjob1275

572 posts

153 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
quotequote all
Yeah pretty simples really.

Just slide it in upside down so your face is the last thing you see as it goes in.

Make sure you put it in slot one. Then do a printout at the end of the day (although i Don't think you have too so long as you have your card with you)

You must carry at least one spare printer roll IIRC

Much less hassle than analogue IMHO

Unless you get stuck in traffic and do the 30mins driving in 15mins thing grrrr..

Fun Bus

Original Poster:

17,911 posts

225 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies. I just wanted to be sure that there was no unlocking procedure on the card or anything else that could throw me.

Humper

946 posts

169 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
quotequote all
Digi cards are easy, way better than discs, unless youre needing every.minute( my.shift is rarely 9 hrs never mind driving time) Wouldnt bother with.a print out, why waste paper, no requirement to.do.it.
If you do though to be nosey, dont leave the printout lying about, if its there its a legal doc, if its not, its not wink
Just be careful hitting the buttons, wouldnt be the first time my.ehift ended in Andorra......... wink

Panda76

2,581 posts

157 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
quotequote all
There is no requirements to do a printout after every shift.It's a waste of time and money<---- more so if supplying your own rolls (agency etc)

Look for a guide on the web,there is a little more to it then just shoving the card in.You need to make manual entries for other work for the time gap when card ejected and actually finishing work (when back at base,if out all week leave it in)and from starting to work to time card is inserted.
The newer digi heads ask for more information than the first generation ones too so make sure you find a guide for them too.
Don't bother listening to naysayers for that advice ^^^ re manual entries,if stopped Vosa can do you for unaccounted time,even if it's just other work and 15 mins a day.

4keymonsta

11,000 posts

155 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
quotequote all
Remember to take it out at the end of your shift, we now have a special draw in the office to throw them in for when drivers forget to eject them. Double shifting the units means that by the time you have realised that you have left your card behind, its 100 miles away.

Humper

946 posts

169 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
quotequote all
Panda76 said:
Don't bother listening to naysayers for that advice ^^^ re manual entries,if stopped Vosa can do you for unaccounted time,even if it's just other work and 15 mins a day.
Dont have unaccounted time, put your card in at the start of your shift, dont take it out till the end. as long as there's enough time on the card for a walkround before you drive off cant see how VOSA can do you for anything, been stopped more than once, never had a prob with the card.

Panda76

2,581 posts

157 months

Friday 29th June 2012
quotequote all
In my case time finishing work can be 15 minutes from the time the card is ejected due to debrief/handing in paperwork etc.Thats why we have to do manual entries for that time.Same as starting shift.I will start at say 5pm and not get the card into the truck until 5:15pm.Those 15 minutes need to be accounted for and added onto the card as other work using the manual entry screens.

The manual entry screens normally pop up when you insert the card.
So when I eject the card at 4:30am and don't book off until 4:45 am due to debrief,when I walk in for my next shift and put the card in it will flash up the time I ejected the card and do I need to manual entry.I select yes and press the relevant buttons to set other work until 4:45am,the next screen will be the time I inserted the card and do I need to manual entry,select yes and wind back the time to 5pm as my start time and select other work until the time I inserted the card.

Yes it's a faff but in my case it has to be done.
Mostly it's WTD related and VOSA can do something about it as we had a driver accused of breaking the WTD by quite some timescale,VOSA came in checked the documents and issued a warning to the driver.


Humper

946 posts

169 months

Friday 29th June 2012
quotequote all
I appreciate the paperwork issue, I have the same thing, I just leave my card in till its sorted, same in the morning, first thing I do is put it in before sorting my run.
Also, unless its a site visit how would VOSA know your start/finish times?

4keymonsta

11,000 posts

155 months

Friday 29th June 2012
quotequote all
Is a walk around check a legal requirement?

Panda76

2,581 posts

157 months

Friday 29th June 2012
quotequote all
Humper said:
I appreciate the paperwork issue, I have the same thing, I just leave my card in till its sorted, same in the morning, first thing I do is put it in before sorting my run.
Also, unless its a site visit how would VOSA know your start/finish times?
Timesheets if your company still uses them.We also carry them with us.
Bit backward thinking but there you go.

Fun Bus

Original Poster:

17,911 posts

225 months

Friday 29th June 2012
quotequote all
4keymonsta said:
Is a walk around check a legal requirement?
That and a defect report is, yes.

grumpy52

5,716 posts

173 months

Tuesday 7th August 2012
quotequote all
Note how the unit has been set some go to rest/break as soon as the ign is turned off some go to other work, easy to get caught out .
As mentioned before give it a couple of minuets extra on breaks also check after a couple of minutes that the unit is still set on what you want it on.This is the most common fault I have found with digi tachos.Pain in the butt when returning to the truck to find the tacho on other work and not a break .

Fun Bus

Original Poster:

17,911 posts

225 months

Thursday 23rd August 2012
quotequote all
Thanks for the help chaps.

I had my first day in a 7.5t Renault Midlum, with digi-card today and it went without issue. It was very straight forward, but who at Renault thought of putting the tacho unit in such an awkwar place?!